1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle accessories and, in particular, concerns a device adapted to permit the use of factory installed remote vehicle stereo controls, such as steering wheel stereo controls, with after-market replacement stereos.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicles, such as automobiles, boats, and even motorcycles, are often equipped with a stereo system at the factory. Over time, vehicles have been equipped with increasingly more sophisticated stereo systems that provide better sound performance. These stereo systems are quite complex and are capable of playing cassette tapes and CDs and also provide radio reception.
Typically, the control units or receivers for these stereos are positioned adjacent the driver's seat of the vehicle such that the driver can manipulate the stereo controls while driving. While the stereo controls are typically positioned somewhat adjacent the driver, the stereo controls are generally not within the driver's field of view and also may require the driver to remove his or her hand from the steering wheel or handlebars of the vehicle in order to manipulate the stereo controls. This can create a potentially dangerous situation as the driver is now no longer grasping the driving controls with both hands and the driver's attention has been diverted from the path of travel of the vehicle to the stereo controls. Numerous accidents occur as a result of the driver directing their attention away from safely operating the vehicle.
Moreover, stereo controls can also be located in places where they are relatively inaccessible to some of the passengers. For example, if the stereo controls are located adjacent the driver in the front seat of a passenger automobile, the passengers in the back seat may not be able to access the controls to change the operation of the stereo.
To address these particular needs, vehicle manufacturers have begun to offer vehicles that have local stereo control buttons that are not positioned adjacent the stereo receiver but are positioned in more favorable locations for driver or passenger manipulation of the stereo controls. For example, many current production automobiles incorporate local stereo controls mounted on the steering wheel of the vehicle. These local stereo controls typically comprise push-button switches that allow the user to control the operation of the stereo, e.g., increase or decrease volume, change channels or change play format, by manipulating switches on the steering wheel with their thumbs. These types of local stereo controls reduce the likelihood that the driver's attention will be drawn away from the path of travel of the vehicle or from the operation of the vehicle while adjusting the stereo.
Similarly, many passenger vehicles also incorporate local stereo controls that are located remotely from the stereo receiver in locations where passengers can control the operation of the stereo by manipulating the remote stereo control buttons. For example, some larger vehicles incorporate stereo control buttons positioned adjacent the backseat passenger location such that passengers can control the operation of the stereo unit that is mounted adjacent the driver in the front seat.
While these local stereo controls improve the flexibility of controlling the stereo unit, these local stereo controls are generally rendered inoperable when the originally installed stereo receiver is replaced with a replacement stereo receiver. Oftentimes, the owners of vehicles become dissatisfied with the originally installed stereo and want to replace the originally installed stereo with a different after-market stereo unit. Typically, replacement stereo units are of higher quality and offer greater performance characteristics than the originally installed stereo unit. However, installing these after-market stereo units typically renders the local stereo control buttons inoperable as these local stereo control buttons or switches are connected to the original stereo control unit or receiver via a hardwired assembly that is specifically designed to connect these local control buttons to the stereo control unit. The typical replacement stereo receiver is not configured to be able to connect to the hardwired local stereo controls.
One possible solution to this problem is to provide a handheld wireless remote control unit along with the replacement stereo receiver wherein the replacement stereo receiver is adapted to receive wireless signals from the handheld remote control unit. The person holding the handheld remote control unit can then control the operation of the replacement stereo unit without touching the controls on the front face of the stereo receiver. While a handheld remote control unit allows for people positioned remotely from the stereo receiver to control the operation of the replacement stereo, the handheld remote control devices are generally unsatisfactory for many vehicle drivers and passengers.
In particular, the handheld remote control device is often misplaced or lost or is not readily accessible to the driver or the passenger while the vehicle is in operation. Moreover, the handheld remote control device often requires the driver or the passenger to specifically point the device in the direction of the replacement stereo receiver so that the receiver can receive the appropriate wireless signal to change the operation of the stereo. If the driver of the vehicle is using the remote control, the driver may have to take their attention away from the path of travel of the vehicle and the operation of the vehicle, locate the appropriate buttons on the handheld remote control, and then point the handheld remote control in the direction of the stereo control receiver. Hence, while these handheld remote control units allow for remote control of a replacement stereo, they still do not provide the convenience of the local controls positioned in the vehicle that are adapted to be used in conjunction with the original stereo system.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that there is a need for a system that will allow existing local stereo controls to be used to control a replacement stereo system. To this end, there is a need for a system that will receive signals from local stereo control switches mounted within the vehicle designed to control the originally installed stereo and then provide appropriate signals to a subsequently installed stereo receiver.